Everything You Need To Know To Find The Best Residential Door Hardware

Door Hardware 101

When shopping for door hardware, here's some basic information you need to know.

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• Make sure the hardware will work with your door thickness. A thickness of 1 3/8 inches is standard for interior doors, while 1 3/4 inches is standard for exterior doors.
• Note the hardware's required bore hole size: the diameter of the hole in the door. Replacement hardware needs to fit your door, and hardware for a new door requires a hole saw in the correct size. Typically, deadbolts need a bore hole 1 1/2 or 2 1/8 inches in diameter. Levers and handlesets usually need a hole 2 1/8 inches in diameter.
• If you're shopping for replacement hardware, check the required backset. This is the distance from the edge of the door to the center of the bore hole. The most common are 2 3/8 inches and 2 3/4 inches, but some hardware can fit multiple backsets. Make sure the hardware you select fits your door. For more help, see Determine the Backset of Your Door.
• Notice the latch or bolt configuration. Round-corner and square-corner configurations have a plate surrounding the latch or bolt on the edge of the door. Hardware with a drive-in configuration has no plate. Purchasing a replacement lockset that matches the current configuration simplifies installation. You can also find hardware that works with multiple configurations.
• Make sure the hardware is right for the application. Entry hardware provides security for exterior doors. Privacy hardware has a basic lock and is used on doors for bathrooms and bedrooms. Passage hardware works for interior doors that don't require locks — closet or family room doors, for example. Dummy hardware can serve a decorative purpose — matching operational hardware on double doors — or can serve as knob or lever pulls on interior doors that don't require functional hardware.
• When looking at an entry door lock, also known as a lockset, check the security grade. The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) designates three levels. Grade 1 is the highest. Grade 2 offers mid-level security, while Grade 3 provides basic security.
• You can typically have multiple entry door locks set (keyed) to work with the same key. However, you may not be able to do this with locks of different brands. Locks with do-it-yourself rekeying let you configure the lock without removing the hardware from the door. This feature can be helpful if you've lost a key and want to assure it can't be used to gain entry to your home.
• Look for designs that resist attempts to defeat an entry lock, such as picking, bumping, prying and drilling.

Keyed Door Knobs

Door knobs are a common version of keyed entry hardware, offering traditional design and operation. They feature a latch that disengages when you turn the knob. Locking the knob prevents the latch from being disengaged from the outside without a key. The inside portion of the knob has a thumb turn to lock and unlock the door. Some models feature easy-to-use push-button locking on the inside and locks that disengage when you turn the inside knob.

Keyed Door Levers

Door levers are designed for easy operation; they don't require the grasping and twisting motion of knobs. Pushing the lever down disengages the latch. As with knobs, locking the lever prevents the latch from being disengaged from the outside without a key. The inside portion of the lever has a thumb turn or push button that allows you to engage the lock. Some models disengage the lock when you manipulate the inside lever, offering a simpler means of exit.

Door levers are left-handed, right-handed or universal. To determine what you need, look at the door from outside the house or room. If the hinges are on the left, look for a left-handed or universal lever. If the hinges are on the right, you need a right-handed or universal model.

Keyed Deadbolts

Deadbolt locks create a second locking point for your door when paired with a locking knob or lever, giving you an additional measure of security. Some knob and lever sets include deadbolts. There are two types: 

• Single-cylinder deadbolts require a key to unlock from the outside but unlock with a small knob or thumb turn on the inside. They're good for doors that don't have glass that can be broken to allow operation of the knob from the outside. The design allows you to unlock a door and exit your home more quickly in the event of an emergency since you don't have to locate the key.
• Double-cylinder deadbolts require a key to unlock from the outside and the inside. They improve security if the door has glass near the lock, but they can take longer to unlock and are prohibited in some areas for some types of buildings. If you use a double-cylinder deadbolt, keep a key in a designated location for easy access in an emergency.

Keyed Handlesets

Handlesets add a bold, decorative touch to an entry door. They include an exterior handle, a thumb-operated latch and a matching deadbolt. A knob or lever operates the latch from the inside. You can find handlesets with right-handed, left-handed and universal levers. The included deadbolt may be single- or double-cylinder, depending on the model. Manufacturers may offer matching, nonfunctional (dummy) handlesets to complement the functional hardware on a double door. If you're replacing a handleset, look for adjustable models that make it possible to use the existing installation holes in the door.

Other Door Hardware

There are other types of door hardware available to improve security:

• Door and door jamb security hardware strengthen vulnerable areas of a door and door frame, making it more difficult for an intruder to kick in the door.
• Door viewers, sometimes called peepholes, are sets of lenses that install in an exterior door to give you a wide-angle view of the outside.
• Night latches help secure your door and can only be operated from the inside.

Door Hardware Finishes

Door hardware is available in finishes to match or help define your home décor. Polished brass finishes work with many home styles, and you can find pewter and brass finishes designed to provide an antique appearance. Look for brushed metals for a contemporary look and chrome hardware for modern appeal. Some finishes are designed to change their appearance with wear.

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If there was a competition for the top spot of which decision during the house build has been the hardest to make, then choosing our interior door hardware would be a strong contender! It was important for me to find a style that would work well throughout the house, a metal finish that would complement the other fixtures and quality hardware that would hold up over time.

Door hardware is probably not the first thing you'll notice in a room, but it's definitely not something to be overlooked. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again...details like these make a big impact on the way a home feels, so I don't regret all the time I spent going back and forth on this!

With all the different styles, finishes and types of hardware to choose from, it can be a little overwhelming to know where to start and how to narrow it down. I learned a whole bunch through the process of choosing our interior door hardware, and I'm going to break it all down here.

START WITH FUNCTION

A good starting point is with the practicalities, and working out what kind of door hardware you will need in your home. I used our house plans to make a list of all the interior doors, and then tallied up the different types of hardware we would need:

Passage hardware (for doors that don't need to lock)
Privacy hardware (for doors that need to lock eg. bathrooms)
Dummy hardware (one-sided "fake" hardware for reach-in closets and the fixed side of a set of double doors)
Flush pulls (for our pocket doors)

With this list in hand, the next step is to consider the style of interior hardware that will work best with your home.

CHOOSING A STYLE

Door hardware is a great way to reinforce the overall design style of your home. It's subtle, but it really does make a difference. Although I'm definitely mixing it up with different decor styles, overall I want the bones of our home to feel timeless and classic, so I was drawn to more traditional hardware that would bring some age and depth to our new construction.

The other thing to take into consideration is the interior door style. Our interior doors are simple 2-panel shaker style which have the potential to feel very modern/minimalistic paired with clean-lined door hardware. Instead I opted for a classic rectangular rosette which has a decorative detail around the edge, along with simple Providence Knobs to hopefully achieve a more transitional look.

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For the most part, this is the style of hardware I'll be using everywhere in the house, but there are a few doors that get special treatment. All the pocket doors (the office, laundry room and toilet room in the primary bath) will have 6" flush pulls. The dining room french doors leading to the back patio will have Merrimack Levers instead of knobs since they are exterior doors. And the kids' bedrooms upstairs will have Melon Knobs with Rope Rosettes for the closet doors—a fun little detail that will only be noticed once inside the room.

Overall, I am keeping the style as consistent as possible, but it can add interest to change it up a little, as long as it's done with intention.

CHOOSING A DOOR HARDWARE FINISH

Picking a finish was the hardest part of the process as there were so many good options to choose from. I changed my mind multiple times because there were a lot of different elements to consider.

My first consideration was the practicalities of each finish. I love the look of unlacquered brass and polished nickel, but could my perfectionist side handle the fingerprints? Probably not. For that reason, I decided to stick with a matte option.

That narrowed things down a lot, so at this point it was choosing something that would complement the door color (SW Modern Gray—a light taupe) and the other fixtures I had already decided on in the house. The hardware finish would essentially become the main metal finish in the house since it's repeated everywhere, so it was important for me to get it right.

I eventually landed on Oil Rubbed Bronze which is something I never would have considered at first. I think I'd discounted it as brass and matte black are having a moment right now, but when I took a step back and looked at how it might work in my home, I realized that Oil Rubbed Bronze could be the perfect match.

Emtek's Oil Rubbed Bronze finish is a beautiful rich black/brown with an aged feel. It provides that high contrast look—similar to matte black, but with more softness. It's a true "transitional" finish—it feels both modern and timeless, exactly what I wanted. It will complement the accent metal finishes I'm using (brass and nickel) and act as a neutral anchor to pull it all together.

METAL FINISHES: TO MIX OR NOT TO MIX

I’m a big fan of mixing metal finishes when it’s done well. It adds a lot of depth and character to a space. However, my personal preference is to stick to one metal finish for all the interior hardware so that it feels cohesive throughout. I will be layering in different metal finishes in other areas—lighting, mirrors, and plumbing fixtures.

The one area I'm breaking my own rule (although you might not even notice) is with the flush pulls, which are actually solid bronze vs. brass with a bronze finish.

It's also a good idea to match hinges and accessories (eg. flush bolts, ball and catch) to knobs/levers. Emtek has matching hinges available for all their finishes.

MY TOP TIPS FOR CHOOSING INTERIOR HARDWARE

To recap, here are my tips for choosing interior hardware:

1. Function goes first: make a list of what you need.
2. Consider the style of your home and your interior doors.
3. Mix up styles if you like, but don't overdo it.
4. Choose a finish that works with the style of your home—don't worry about trends.
5. Be consistent with your door hardware finishes throughout the house. Add accent metal finishes with lighting and other fixtures.

If you are on the hunt for hardware for your home then look no further! Emtek is such high quality and I cannot WAIT to see this beautiful hardware installed in the house—just a few short weeks away now.

Our home is built and I am thrilled with how the door hardware looks. It is timeless and looks like it belongs—exactly as I was hoping! Here's a few sneak peeks of our new home:

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